Chattanooga women picked to win Southern Conference title

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) — Chattanooga is picked to win a fourth consecutive Southern Conference women’s basketball championship by the league’s coaches and media.

In the media poll, Chattanooga got 19 of 20 first-place votes and 159 total points. Chattanooga was followed in order by East Tennessee State, Samford and Furman.

Chattanooga received seven of eight first-place votes in the coaches’ poll and earned 49 points. Furman was picked second, while ETSU and Samford tied for third place.

Coaches also named Chattanooga’s Jasmine Joyner preseason player of the year. Their preseason all-conference team also included Chattanooga’s Alicia Payne and Chelsey Shumpert, ETSU’s Shamauria Bridges and Tianna Tarter, Furman’s Whitney Bunn and Holli Wilkins, Mercer’s Kahlia Lawrence, UNC Greensboro’s Lucy Mason and Samford’s Taylor Reece.

Coaches couldn’t vote for their own teams or players.